-COMMUNITY BENEFIT-
Helping Our Community a Step at a Time
Our experimentation gives us insightful look on the issues relating to E. coli, or Escherichia coli, outbreaks in our community. From infants to older men and women, our community is affected due to increased bacterial infections from all across the globe. Our experiment gave a more eye-opening approach to this issue because it neutralized the effect of E. coli using silver nanoparticles, making commercial crops much less susceptible to harming both humans and crops once penetrated into the everyday food supply. Reducing the effects of E. coli will not only impact humans but will also lead to more economic prosperity. While using silver nanoparticles, which is a cost-effective material available in our community, we have also made our solution cost-effective so it can also benefit our community to the maximum extent. This E. coli bacteria, located in 30+ states in the U.S., the outbreaks will be less widespread and more effective. By introducing the idea of silver-nanoparticles to the farming industry, we are finding a more effective “cure” to E. coli infestation through cost-effective means. Through making our silver-nanoparticles widespread and ensuring that all crops are safe from this lethal bacteria, we will be helping our local businesses - as well as susceptible people in our community - from potentially being harmed.
On the individual level, we are helping infants, older men and women, and everyday people from being potentially threatened when encountered with this bacteria. E. coli has had substantially atrocious effects on our community, causing over 60+ deaths in 30 states alone. As time is progressing, so is the number of E. coli outbreaks in our community - further threatening the lives of many important citizens and residents in our society. Our research changes this by encouraging our individual residents from enduring these effects. With a simple application of silver nanoparticles, which are a natural and cost-effective alternative to other substances, we are encouraging more valuable lives to be saved. Furthermore, our results prevent the deprivation of economic advantage for consumers and food suppliers on the local level. All in all, the application of silver nanoparticles will help our individual community in an effective manner.
In terms of businesses, we are potentially aiding food supplement industries from E. coli outbreaks. From romaine lettuce to ground beef, these outbreaks have a detrimental effect on business profit and reputation. Through our experiment, we are providing a potential method of neutralizing this bacteria. This will inevitably lead to fewer outbreaks and have positive effects on local and national businesses.
Organizations will also gain advantages through our experimentation. For example, the Food and Drug Administration could implement our research to effectively deter E. coli outbreaks and further prevent them as a whole in our community. In addition, organizations such as WHO, the World Health Organization, and The American National Red Cross may be able to apply our findings in the real world and the globe. Perhaps our research may provoke similar ideas in these top-performing organization that can further deter other bacterial infections/diseases in the near future.
In order to spread the word about our successful experiment, we made a flyer and a website. We handed out the flyer to students in our school and gave the website address to students, as well. We hope to educate the world on our experiment and, one day, see it in the soil of a farmer's land.
However, there are still some ways to further enhance:
1. Reduce Cost to Further Support Farmers All Across the Globe
Even though silver nanoparticles are implemented everyday household items in our product, such as cups, bowls, and jewelry, there is still room for improvement concerning further testing and implementation. Perhaps, through a more “hands-on” manner, we could make our silver nanoparticles available for widespread commercial use. Through making our silver-nanoparticles widespread and ensuring that all crops are safe from this lethal bacteria, we will be helping our local businesses - as well as susceptible people in our community - from potentially being harmed.
2. Patent and Sell Silver Nanoparticles “Spray” With a Large-Scale Production
Even if we create a great method, the world will never know about it unless we start implementing it. We plan to patent a silver nanoparticle applier, or “spray,” and start selling it. We would first begin selling it on a small basis such as a local store or in a small booth outside of one of our houses. This would benefit our closer community as they are able to use during the E. coli season. However, as time goes by, we hope to be able to sell into larger chain stores such as Home Depot, or Lowe’s. We want to make a large scale production so that we will be able to ship the so-called “spray” to other parts of the world. We know that shipping across the globe is a goal that is not likely to happen very soon, but we still hope for it to happen as a long-term goal for our experimental results.
3. Improve Effectivity to Create a Stronger and More Superior Alternative
As society continues to thrive, living organisms continue to become powerful. Today E. coli might not grow, but tomorrow e. Coli could be prospering with our silver nanoparticles. This is why we hope to continue to improve our experiment, making in changes in the concentrations of each component and with new components as well. We want to make an alternative that can subdue the growth of many different e. Coli types, not just one or two lethal strands. By looking into different materials, different methods, and different types of nanoparticles as a whole, we can improve our experiment and make it fit our growing society.